Anthony Ballantoni

Looking Ahead

Looking Ahead: Daytona in 64

During the off-season, Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of where drivers finished in 2012 and what’s ahead for them in 2013. We will look at drivers who scored at least 250 points in the Cup Series and those who earned at least 200 points in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

With 64 days to go until the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some driver recaps followed by a tentative list of 2013 Sprint Cup Driver/Team lineups.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):Regan Smith finished 24th in the standings and earned 747 points.2012: Drove the first 30 races of the season in the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing before being let go. In the next two races (Charlotte and Kansas), he filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (out recovering from a concussion) in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet. He ended the season with two starts in Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 Chevrolet. In his 34 starts, Smith led two laps, had one top five and four top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 18.2 and a 22.1 average finish. He also made one start in the Nationwide Series. He started 10th in the line-up for the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami in JR Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet. Smith led 24 laps and scored the win; his first career victory in the NNS.Best NSCS starts: 3 - Phoenix 03/04/12 and Richmond 09/08/12Best NSCS finish: 5 - Talladega 10/07/12Last NSCS Win: Darlington 05/07/11.2013: Has signed with JR Motorsports to drive their No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Smith is also scheduled to run the Sprint Cup Daytona 500 for Phoenix Racing in the No. 51 Chevrolet. AJ Allmendinger will take over the No. 51 after Daytona.

Bobby Labonte finished 23rd in the standings and earned 772 points.2012:Drove the No. 47 Toyota for JTG Daugherty Racing. In the 36 starts, he led one lap, had two top 10 finishes, and had a 26.6 average start and a 22.6 average finish.Best NSCS start: 15 - Charlotte 10/13/12Best NSCS finish: 9 - Martinsville 10/28/12Last NSCS Win: Homestead 11/16/03.2013: Labonte returns to the No. 47 Toyota. Brian Burns, who was the interim crew chief for Labonte for the second half of the 2012 season, has been named the permanent crew chief for the team.

Juan Pablo Montoya finished 22nd in the standings and earned 810 points.2012: Drove the No. 42 Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 22 laps, scored two poles, had two top 10 finishes and had an average start of 23.3 and a 21.7 average finish.Best NSCS starts: 1 - Pocono 08/05/12 and Watkins Glen 08/12/12Best NSCS finishes: 8 - Bristol 03/18/12 and Michigan 06/17/12Last NSCS Win: Watkins Glen 08/08/10.2013: Montoya will return for a full season in the No. 42 Chevrolet.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):Jamie Dick finished 24th in the standings and earned 282 points.2012:Drove 14 races in the R3 Motorsports’ No. 23 Chevrolet. In the 14 races, he had an average start of 25.5 and a 23.9 average finish.Best NNS starts - 16 - Kentucky 06/29/12 and Kentucky 09/22/12Best NNS finish: 18 - Phoenix 11/10/12Last NNS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans at this time.

Ryan Truex finished 23rd in the standings and earned 298 points.2012:Drove seven races in the Joe Gibbs Racing’s Nos. 18 and 20 Toyotas; three in RAB Racing’s Nos. 09 and 99 Toyotas and one race in the Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 36 Chevrolet. In the 11 races, Truex led 46 laps, scored one pole, one top five and four top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 14.5 and a 17.2 average finish. Truex also made two NCWTS starts in the Hillman Racing No. 27 Chevrolet Silverado with a best finish of ninth. Best NNS start: 1 - Dover 06/02/12Best NNS finish: 2 - Dover 06/02/12Last NNS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans at this time but may run some races with Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 18 Toyota.

Kenny Wallace finished 22nd in the standings and earned 311 points.2012:Drove 13 races in the RAB Racing Nos. 09 and 99 Toyotas and one in the SR2 Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet. In the 14 races, he led four laps, had one top five and three top 10 finishes and had an average start of 14.6 and an 18.7 average finish.Best NNS start: 3 - Phoenix 03/03/12Best NNS finish: 4 - Chicago 07/22/12Last NNS Win: Rockingham - 11/03/01.2013: No firm plans at this time but if sponsorship is found Wallace could race in either the No. 09 or No. 99 Toyota for RAB Racing.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):Norm Benning finished 21st in the standings and earned 346 points.2012:Drove 17 races in his Norm Benning Racing No. 57 Chevrolet Silverado. He had an average start of 34.0 and a 23.6 average finish.Best NCWTS start: 30 - Texas 06/08/12Best NCWTS finish: 15 - Kentucky 09/21/12Last NCWTS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans in place at this time but most likely will attempt to make the field in all races with his No. 57 truck.

Dakoda Armstrong finished 20th in the standings and earned 370 points.2012:Drove the first 14 races of the season in the ThorSport Racing No. 98 Toyota Tundra and one race in Turner Motorsports No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado. He led one lap, had one top five and one top 10 finish, and had an average start of 20.9 and a 19.4 average finish. Armstrong also drove for Turner Motorsports in the Nationwide Series finale at Homestead. He finished 25th in the No. 30 Chevrolet.Best NCWTS start: 11 - Rockingham 04/15/12Best NCWTS finish: 3 - Michigan 08/18/12Last NCWTS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans in place at this time.

During the off-season, Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of where drivers finished in 2012 and what’s ahead for them in 2013. We will look at drivers who scored at least 250 points in the Cup Series and those who earned at least 200 points in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

With 64 days to go until the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some driver recaps followed by a tentative list of 2013 Sprint Cup Driver/Team lineups.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):Regan Smith finished 24th in the standings and earned 747 points.2012: Drove the first 30 races of the season in the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing before being let go. In the next two races (Charlotte and Kansas), he filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (out recovering from a concussion) in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet. He ended the season with two starts in Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 Chevrolet. In his 34 starts, Smith led two laps, had one top five and four top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 18.2 and a 22.1 average finish. He also made one start in the Nationwide Series. He started 10th in the line-up for the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami in JR Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet. Smith led 24 laps and scored the win; his first career victory in the NNS.Best NSCS starts: 3 - Phoenix 03/04/12 and Richmond 09/08/12Best NSCS finish: 5 - Talladega 10/07/12Last NSCS Win: Darlington 05/07/11.2013: Has signed with JR Motorsports to drive their No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Smith is also scheduled to run the Sprint Cup Daytona 500 for Phoenix Racing in the No. 51 Chevrolet. AJ Allmendinger will take over the No. 51 after Daytona.

Bobby Labonte finished 23rd in the standings and earned 772 points.2012:Drove the No. 47 Toyota for JTG Daugherty Racing. In the 36 starts, he led one lap, had two top 10 finishes, and had a 26.6 average start and a 22.6 average finish.Best NSCS start: 15 - Charlotte 10/13/12Best NSCS finish: 9 - Martinsville 10/28/12Last NSCS Win: Homestead 11/16/03.2013: Labonte returns to the No. 47 Toyota. Brian Burns, who was the interim crew chief for Labonte for the second half of the 2012 season, has been named the permanent crew chief for the team.

Juan Pablo Montoya finished 22nd in the standings and earned 810 points.2012: Drove the No. 42 Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 22 laps, scored two poles, had two top 10 finishes and had an average start of 23.3 and a 21.7 average finish.Best NSCS starts: 1 - Pocono 08/05/12 and Watkins Glen 08/12/12Best NSCS finishes: 8 - Bristol 03/18/12 and Michigan 06/17/12Last NSCS Win: Watkins Glen 08/08/10.2013: Montoya will return for a full season in the No. 42 Chevrolet.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):Jamie Dick finished 24th in the standings and earned 282 points.2012:Drove 14 races in the R3 Motorsports’ No. 23 Chevrolet. In the 14 races, he had an average start of 25.5 and a 23.9 average finish.Best NNS starts - 16 - Kentucky 06/29/12 and Kentucky 09/22/12Best NNS finish: 18 - Phoenix 11/10/12Last NNS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans at this time.

Ryan Truex finished 23rd in the standings and earned 298 points.2012:Drove seven races in the Joe Gibbs Racing’s Nos. 18 and 20 Toyotas; three in RAB Racing’s Nos. 09 and 99 Toyotas and one race in the Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 36 Chevrolet. In the 11 races, Truex led 46 laps, scored one pole, one top five and four top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 14.5 and a 17.2 average finish. Truex also made two NCWTS starts in the Hillman Racing No. 27 Chevrolet Silverado with a best finish of ninth. Best NNS start: 1 - Dover 06/02/12Best NNS finish: 2 - Dover 06/02/12Last NNS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans at this time but may run some races with Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 18 Toyota.

Kenny Wallace finished 22nd in the standings and earned 311 points.2012:Drove 13 races in the RAB Racing Nos. 09 and 99 Toyotas and one in the SR2 Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet. In the 14 races, he led four laps, had one top five and three top 10 finishes and had an average start of 14.6 and an 18.7 average finish.Best NNS start: 3 - Phoenix 03/03/12Best NNS finish: 4 - Chicago 07/22/12Last NNS Win: Rockingham - 11/03/01.2013: No firm plans at this time but if sponsorship is found Wallace could race in either the No. 09 or No. 99 Toyota for RAB Racing.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):Norm Benning finished 21st in the standings and earned 346 points.2012:Drove 17 races in his Norm Benning Racing No. 57 Chevrolet Silverado. He had an average start of 34.0 and a 23.6 average finish.Best NCWTS start: 30 - Texas 06/08/12Best NCWTS finish: 15 - Kentucky 09/21/12Last NCWTS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans in place at this time but most likely will attempt to make the field in all races with his No. 57 truck.

Dakoda Armstrong finished 20th in the standings and earned 370 points.2012:Drove the first 14 races of the season in the ThorSport Racing No. 98 Toyota Tundra and one race in Turner Motorsports No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado. He led one lap, had one top five and one top 10 finish, and had an average start of 20.9 and a 19.4 average finish. Armstrong also drove for Turner Motorsports in the Nationwide Series finale at Homestead. He finished 25th in the No. 30 Chevrolet.Best NCWTS start: 11 - Rockingham 04/15/12Best NCWTS finish: 3 - Michigan 08/18/12Last NCWTS Win: None so far2013: No firm plans in place at this time.